Create-Your-Own Caliphate

Posted on Jun 20, 2014

It's a good time to be in Iraq, if you're a crazed Muslim zealot bent on creating a caliphate, that is. Iraq is suddenly back on everyone's radar now that ISIS is taking over large chunks of that formerly-occupied nation. ISIS, you know, the guys who were a little too extreme for Al Qaeda.

It's a fact that the members of ISIS learned their fighting skills thanks to the U.S. occupation of Iraq, no matter how many people want to blame Obama for this whole disaster. There is no one party entirely responsible for the rise of ISIS, sometimes a crazed violent group of zealots is successful because they play their cards right in a variety of theaters. One of the biggest reasons for their success is the marginalization of Sunnis in Iraq, first by the United States then by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

ISIS did not just pop into existence because Obama was not able to negotiate a Status of Forces Agreement with the Iraqi government. As awful and violent as they are, they are a very savvy group, a group that issues annual reports and has their own app! (So much for plotting while living in caves.) "Enjoy" the cartoon, and let's hope for some sanity in Iraq. You can read more about the news behind this cartoon on my website.